A Left-Hand Turn Around the World: Chasing the Mystery and Meaning of All Things Southpaw

by David Wolman

Book Overview

Are Southpaws really more creative, or is that just a myth? Is there a gene for left-handedness? David Wolman--a lefty, and proud of it--sets out to answer these and other questions on a journey through the world of the left-hander. Traveling from the halls of history to the halls of science, Wolman explores a Scottish castle designed for left-handed swordfights, visits a Paris museum to inspect nineteenth-century brains that hold clues to this biological...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306814153
• ISBN13: 9780306814150
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A Rigorous Look At What Is Known

This is not a book of trivia. Instead, it is a serious attempt to glean what is known about left handedness and its implications, if any, for the human race. Wolman is adept at tackling a wide range of issues but I must confess that I read this in the midst of a more detailed analysis of the thought processes associated with left-handedness. I did not find the silver bullet here. This is a great book about as many things as this author knows about. I will forward that there is one significant area where he did not venture--and I feel that the neglected area is in fact the most interesting. Since I am working on my own work on the same topic, I will leave it at that.

Left Hand Turn a great book

this is a must read for any left hander! It was very informative, and it was interesting to read just how unfairly left handers were treated thru the ages!

Much-Enjoyed Combo of Science, Travel, and Humor

This is a great book. As a (mostly) right-handed person, I wasn't too sure at first, but it was truly a delight. I learned a lot about the brain and a mysterious little facet of human behavior that people usually overlook. Wolman's side-excursions into the worlds of palmistry, graphology, and lefty golf are a welcome -- and funny -- change of pace from the science material, and his portrait of the guy with the hand transplant is terrific. Think of Kurlansky with a sense of humor, and Sobel with a sense of adventure. A good read for left-handers, of course, and anyone who's curious about the world.

Humorous with just a touch of scientific research.

This is a light and carefree look at the left handed world. It's a mixture of science (the brain's contribution - which now is known to happen much earlier than previously thought), culture (where to sit at a dining table), humor (as in left handed sword fighting), and a dose of I'm not sure just what to call it about stories such at one where a man had his left arm attached to his right shoulder (To move his thumb, his brain sends out signals to move his little finger. Question, is he left handed?). Mr. Wolman is a leftie, he took off a year to research leftiness. He lives in Portland, Oregon, which is just about as far left wing as any city in the country, besides being on the left hand side of the map. -- Sorry, I couldn't help it. An amusing book, potentially a very good gift for the right person, no I mean the left person, no that's not what I meant either.

Perfect Holiday Gift for A Lefty

My dad is notoriously hard to shop for but this wonderful book is perfect. I read it first myself and loved it even though I'm a righty. It made me feel smarter - I think most people have probably been curious about what makes some people left handed, particullarly if they have lefties in their family. Well, this book reveals a lot, but you'll have to read it to learn for yourself. Anyway, I'm giving it to my dad because he's a lefty and will appreciate it. Sure makes my gift-giving easier this year!